TKR Bikeknit's Recovery Thread

[Bikeknit]

Cool. I don't think I've ever had the flexibility to touch my toes either from sitting or standing. Not as a teenager, young adult, or any other life stage. Just assumed I was not a flexible person.

Today I joined my husband doing Pilates and one of the exercises is to sit on the floor and lean forward to touch your toes without bending your knees, of course. And I did it! Then I stood up and leaned down to touch my toes and I did that (without bending my knees)! I can only assume that all the stretching exercises I've been doing both before and after my surgeries really did the job.

 

[sistersinhim]

Yay! It's working for ya!

 

[Bikeknit]

I'm watching a sloppy wet snow fall so probably no walks today. But maybe I'll get to try cross country skiing on my new knees this year! I hope you are all somewhere cozy on this winter day. Except those of you in the southern hemisphere who are enjoying summer!

6 month report on my left knee
Walking up to 3.5 miles. Too cold for much bicycling but using my bike indoors on the trainer as it really seems to help loosen things up. Biking inside is more boring so I don't tend to do it as often. My knee feels sturdy and happy. Still gets stiff when the barometer is dropping or after longer times sitting. Occasionally swells at the back but mostly looks and acts like a knee!

3 month report on my right knee. I've reduced my Tylenol to twice a day. My knee stills feels tender and swells a bit after long walks but occasional icing makes it happy again. Slightly better rom on this one. 130 on most days. My progress has been faster on this knee. Some possible factors: less agressive pt, having a repaired knee to take some of the load, a little less damage so an easier surgery, who knows?

I'm starting to plan some short trips for biking and hiking. Going to enjoy these knees as much as I can.

 

[sistersinhim]

What an uplifting post!

 

[np7]

Good for you! too bad you don't live in California where you can get outside comfortably every day

 

[Bikeknit]

too bad you don't live in California where you can get outside comfortably every day

Yeah don't rub it in. This is usually when I plan a trip somewhere warm. Looking at the ne Texas trail and a cabin to be near some relatives for outdoor activities and a late February trip.

 

[Bikeknit]

What an uplifting post!

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement @sistersinhim. Really appreciate all the cheerleading.

 

[Bikeknit]

When I consulted with my surgeon before my knee surgeries, I told him I wanted to be sure I could do 3 things: hike, bicycle, and cross country ski.

While I've got a ways to go on endurance, I'm hiking further and more comfortably than those last year's of knee deterioration.

And before winter hit, I could ride up to 10 miles.

Well this morning it snowed, more than enough for skiing. In my area the snow rarely hangs around so if you want to ski, you've got to get out there! I stopped when my knees started murmuring but they were way more stable and comfortable than last year pre-surgery. If it weren't for this forum I'd be worrying that I still get a little sore after a new activity but I know I've got more healing to do.

Happy New Year everyone, whatever stage of deciding, planning, or healing you are in.

 

[Margie013]

It's been great to read your posts @Bikeknit. They are really positive and uplifting. And fantastic to see you out cross country skiing. I also hope to be able to hike cycle and cross country ski and although I'm at a slower pace than you I'm getting there. All the very best to you!

 

[Bikeknit]

Hi @Margie013 . Thanks for the nice note. Don't worry, we all recover at different rates. My first knee was slower than my second one and sometimes after an activity it is the one complaining still.

 

[Bikeknit]

Cold rain here. Good day to write an update.

My plan is to continue to post monthly til I hit my one year mark though I'm not having difficulties and am doing pretty darn good. I would guess my recovery has been a little better than average and I know I am lucky. I just remember seeing all the problems that people have before my surgery and being a bit frightened by that. This forum is here to support people, especially if you are having problems. So I'm hoping that my posts won't be seen as trying to compare but might serve as a close to average recovery thread for people contemplating surgery or wanting to look down the recovery path.

In spite of my generally good progress, I've had the usual surprises and difficulties: the numb spot (Why didn't my doc tell me about that beforehand?), quads that wouldn't work and hurt like heck on my right knee, an overagressive and uncommunicative physical therapist on my left knee, zingers, immense fatigue early on,, a doc who was concerned about my window of opportunity... But here's my late January report.

7 months on left knee, 4 months on right knee: Not much new, just gradual improvement at this point. It's winter so I'm not increasing my activity but feel like I could. I still take Tylenol twice a day but often forget so obviously not much pain. Occasional tenderness, occasional slight swelling, which I ice.

I feel totally stable doing things like standing on my toes to reach a high shelf, climbing a step ladder to paint my bathroom, cooking a meal without sitting down between every step, and cross country skiing. All things that definately did not feel stable before my surgeries! I was looking at some old vacation pictures and recognized my weird stance. I'd get one foot planted and leg braced, then settle the other foot about 2 feet from the first and sort of settle my body into it. I feel so upright!

Squatting is still a bit awkward and I use a stool to sit on when painting baseboards or working in a flower bed. Suspect that may not improve a lot but again, it is better than before my surgeries.

Essentially not thinking about my knees much, which is the goal. Oh yes, I got my 1st dose of the covid vaccine!

 

[Jaycey]

Great update @Bikeknit ! You will continue to improve - some see progress years out of surgery.

Congrats on getting your first covid dose! One step closer to life as we all knew it!

 

[FCBayern]

Please continue to share your recovery, it IS helpful for members to hear about all the success stories. I couldn't squat at your stage of recovery either @Bikeknit, but somewhere between my first and second year I realized I was squatting and hadn't even thought about it until I was already down. I think you have a great chance to be working in the garden a year from now with a thought about your knees, or there being anything you can't do. You are in a good place now and the future looks even brighter!

 

[Carmencita]

@Bikeknit

I’ve been following your threads and it was so encouraging to hear your latest post and how well you are doing, congratulations! Like you I’ve been reading on here a lot and I have to admit I’ve gotten scared about all the problems some people are experiencing. So that’s why it’s super great to read a story like yours. Thank you and looking forward to the next update (by which time I will hopefully have a new right knee)!

And oh to be able to squat would be a gift!

 

[Bikeknit]

Thanks for the nice note and Wow @Carmencita. I just reread your preop thread and you are one tough woman, both in all of your physical activities and the health issues you have faced. I'm sure it will serve you well on your knee replacement journey. We're rooting for you.

 

[Bikeknit]

I seem to be chasing bad weather. We are in Texas (yes, the same Texas that was just declared a disaster area) to ride a bike trail and visit our grandkids. For those who think I'm nuts, we did postpone the trip til people quit having rolling blackouts and water service was restored - at least where I am staying. Yesterday I rode 19 miles on a very soft crushed gravel trail which is probably more like riding 30 miles on pavement. In the evening everything hurt with the exception of my knees, which were just fine. I haven't gotten that much exercise since I began this joint replacement journey and I slept long and deep. I now know that I can push them some without much repurcussion.

At 8 months my left knee is still the one that I notice. It gets stiffer than the other knee and seems to not flex quite as much. Though everything is so much better than before surgery - stability and only the rarest of little pains. It bends enough to keep my surgeon happy and to do the things I want to do. It is strong but more likely to get stiff if I sit too long. I sometimes have a bit of stiff band feeling though nothing that would stop me from doing anything.

My right knee is just 5 months old and increasingly feels just like a normal knee. I don't have the stiff band at all on this one. It just recovered faster than the first one and now seems determined to pass it and keep on going. I don't know why the knees have such varied recoveries though I've made some guesses over the months. - Edit: after a second day of riding, this knee is a bit swollen and asking for some icing. It isn't done with it's healing quite yet.

I'm still taking some Tylenol at night and occasionally in the day though often for my other aging body issues. Hang in there everyone. I'll check back in next month.

 

[Bikeknit]

That pesky extension. When my physical therapist released me in October she was measuring my extension at 0 on both knees. At a follow-up appointment 2 weeks ago at the OS office the Physician's Assistant eyeballs me, messed with my legs and said it wasn't there. She said I had bad extension before the surgery and that I'd have more issues getting good extension post surgery. I came home and did Josephine's extension measuring technique and darned if she wasn't right.

Anyone else have issues with reverting on extension after getting good readings? I'm back to doing stretches. Perhaps I shouldn't have stopped.

Any thoughts on maintaining good extension? Are my stretches lifetime exercises?

The good news, my flexion was good.

 

[FCBayern]

I didn't get to zero extension until I was over a year in recovery @Bikeknit. I didn't do anything special, just let nature take its course and my normal daily activities brought it to zero and even farther. It may not seem like it, but you are still early in a 12-18 month recovery.

 

[Geoffa]

Bikeknit,
The elusive extension.
A month ago I had a cardio ablation for Afib six months after RTKR. Part of the procedure is immobilization of the right leg for about ten hours. Wow I sure noticed the impact on my knee, no pain after 3 months now back to pain levels early after RTKR. it took a week to recover and I lost extension.
I have had a very good recovery so this came as a surprise.
Interesting that at my OS advised me early on that my extension was going to lag in recovery because he thought my ligaments were well placed to support a "tight" fitting, my words, of the prothesis placement, part of the robotic analysis.
I recollect with my LTKR, 9 years ago my extension always lagged. I was younger and more stupid then so whenever I was laying with my leg out tightening muscles to force back of knee to the floor I would rally any family members available to slowly force my knee as far a pain would allow. Probably not the Bonesmart approach but it worked.
This time I am just taking it easy using my ADL and regular stretch and exercise activity to do its thing.
In summary my extension varies a lot while my flexion is very good and very consistent, my extension does not limit anything I can do except in some extreme manoeuvres it lets you know you are pushing to hard.
All the best.
Geoff

 

[Bikeknit]

Time for my monthly update. Really pretty boring. Probably the item of most note is that I'm no longer afraid to ride my bicycle on hills. Before my surgery I couldn't push down hard enough to get up a hill without repurcussions, usually pain, sometimes extreme knee fatigue after the ride. Earlier in rehab, I didn't want to stress the healing knees.

I also am noting that my general endurance has improved quite a bit from pre-surgery. Probably because it was so darn difficult to walk very far so I didn't.

My left knee is 9 months old, right knee is 6 months old. Both get a little stiff at times but never enough to stop me from doing anything. In general the left knee is more likely to get slightly tender and swollen after a long walk or bike ride. The newer right knee rarely does and feels much more natural though both are enormously better than before my surgeries. Generally incremental improvements.

I've been dealing with my Mom, who for the first time in her 95 years, other than brief times after surgeries, is finding that she needs to depend on others for basic things like grocery shopping and taking her laundry up and down from the basement. She's devastated by her loss of independence and I'm trying to take some lessons from watching her - to enjoy my abilities while I can and hopefully to be grateful and accepting of help when I need it.